Exogenous hydrogen sulfide protects H9c2 cardiac cells against high glucose-induced injury by inhibiting the activities of the p38 MAPK and ERK1/2 pathways

Xu,Wenming; Wu,Wen; Chen,Jingfu; Guo,Runmin; Lin,Jiancong; Liao,Xinxue; Feng,Jianqiang

doi:10.3892/ijmm.2013.1462

Exogenous hydrogen sulfide protects H9c2 cardiac cells against high glucose-induced injury by inhibiting the activities of the p38 MAPK and ERK1/2 pathways

Authors:
- Wenming Xu
- Wen Wu
- Jingfu Chen
- Runmin Guo
- Jiancong Lin
- Xinxue Liao
- Jianqiang Feng
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Affiliations: Department of Internal Medicine, Huangpu Division of The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China, Department of Endocrinology, Guangdong Geriatrics Institute, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China, Department of Cardiovasology, The Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, P.R. China, Department of Cardiovasology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China, Department of Physiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
Published online on: August 1, 2013 https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2013.1462
Pages: 917-925

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Abstract

Hyperglycemia is a risk factor for the development of diabetic cardiovascular complications, which are associated with the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. In this study, we demonstrate the inhibitory effects of exogenous hydrogen sulfide (H2S) on the activation of the MAPK pathway. The aim of the present study was to determine whether exogenous H2S prevents high glucose (HG)-induced injury by inhibiting the activation of the p38 MAPK and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 (members of MAPK) pathways in cardiomyoblasts (H9c2 cells). The findings of the present study demonstrated that the treatment of H9c2 cells with HG (35 mM glucose) for 24 h not only significantly induced injury, including cytotoxicity, apoptosis, overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), but also upregulated the expression levels of phosphorylated (p)-p38 MAPK and p-ERK1/2. The increased expression levels of p-p38 MAPK and p-ERK1/2 were markedly reduced by pre-treatment of the H9c2 cells with 400 µM sodium hydrogen sulfide (NaHS; a donor of H2S) prior to exposure to 35 mM glucose. Importantly, pre-treatment of the cells with 400 µM NaHS or 3 µM SB203580 (a selective inhibitor of p38 MAPK) or 15 µM U0126 (a selective inhibitor of ERK1/2) attenuated the HG-induced cardiomyocyte injury, leading to an increase in cell viability and a decrease in the number of apoptotic cells, preventing ROS generation, as well as the loss of MMP. In addition, pre-treatment of the cells with 1,000 µM N‑acetyl‑L‑cysteine (a ROS scavenger) prior to exposure to HG ameliorated the HG-induced cytotoxicity. Taken together, the data from the present study demonstrate for the first time, to our knowledge, that exogenous H2S exerts a protective effect against HG‑induced injury by inhibiting the activation of the p38 MAPK and ERK1/2 pathways and preventing oxidative stress in H9c2 cells.

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